Southern Africa

Ranked · where to go & why

The Top 20 in Southern Africa

The greatest safari on Earth, deserts of red dune, a delta you explore by canoe, and a thundering mile-wide waterfall. Here is Southern Africa, ranked.

1. 1Kruger National Park, South AfricaExplore →The icon of the African safari — the Big Five across two million hectares, by self-drive or luxury lodge.
2. 2Cape Town, South AfricaOne of the world’s most beautiful cities — Table Mountain, Cape beaches, and the winelands at its door.
3. 3Okavango Delta, BotswanaA water wilderness in the desert — game-viewing by mokoro canoe from fly-in luxury camps.
4. 4Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia“The smoke that thunders” — a mile-wide curtain of water, and the adventure capital around it.
5. 5Sabi Sand Reserves, South AfricaThe world’s premier private game reserves bordering Kruger — unrivalled leopard sightings, ultra-luxury lodges.
6. 6Cape Winelands (Stellenbosch & Franschhoek)Cape Dutch estates, world-class wine and farm-to-table dining among the mountains.
7. 7Sossusvlei & the Namib, NamibiaThe world’s tallest red dunes and the ghostly dead trees of Deadvlei — otherworldly at dawn.
8. 8Chobe National Park, BotswanaThe greatest elephant concentration in Africa — sunset river safaris on the Chobe.
9. 9Garden Route, South AfricaA glorious coastal road trip — forests, lagoons, whales and adventure towns like Knysna.
10. 10South Luangwa, ZambiaThe birthplace of the walking safari — leopard-rich, wild, and gloriously uncrowded.
11. 11Etosha National Park, NamibiaWildlife framed by a vast white salt pan — superb dry-season waterhole game-viewing.
12. 12Bazaruto Archipelago, MozambiqueIndian-Ocean island paradise — dhow sails, dugongs, and barefoot luxury off the safari trail.
13. 13Hwange National Park, ZimbabweZimbabwe’s largest park — huge elephant and buffalo herds, classic old-Africa atmosphere.
14. 14Madikwe Game Reserve, South AfricaMalaria-free Big Five country — ideal for families and first-time safari-goers.
15. 15Lower Zambezi, ZambiaCanoe past elephants and hippos on a wild stretch of the great Zambezi River.
16. 16Skeleton Coast, NamibiaShipwrecks, dunes meeting the Atlantic, and desert-adapted wildlife — hauntingly remote.
17. 17Makgadikgadi & the Kalahari, BotswanaEndless salt pans, habituated meerkats, and the zebra migration — surreal and silent.
18. 18Mana Pools, ZimbabweA UNESCO wilderness where you can walk among the wildlife — for the seasoned safari soul.
19. 19Lake MalawiA freshwater inland sea — snorkel kaleidoscopic cichlids and island-hop off the safari clock.
20. 20The Drakensberg, South AfricaSoaring basalt peaks, ancient San rock art, and Africa’s highest, most dramatic mountains.

Curated by TravelWell, in the spirit of the great travel guides. Linked picks open a full guide + Safety Card; more are being added.